I recently had two conversations; one with a writer and the second with a painter. Both felt their careers had come to a standstill. Both were miserable and both were stuck in the same place. They had built successful careers, but things had shifted. The writer’s work was no longer in demand and the painter’s work was no longer selling. Both decided to approach the problem in the same way. They chose to continue making art, but basically in a vacuum. Neither made any effort to connect with others. Neither tried to market or promote in order to reach new markets or get themselves in front of the public, publishers, galleries, investors, or influencers.
Each in essence did…
Nothing.
I understand, that the type of a shift both artists were experiencing can be very tough space to be in. It’s rough to have had success and see it ebb away, but it’s not unusual. It’s often part of the rhythm of an artist’s (or, in fact anyone’s life)
An artist’s life has its ebbs and flows, its ups and downs. In the artist’s world what generally defines a career is how an artist deals with those changes and fluctuations.
Too often artists become paralyzed when the trajectory shifts from up to down. If life was going well before, why would it change? And taking that logic a step further, why then should the artist change?
The fact is that change is the one true constant in life. As life changes so do we all, whether we chose to or not. The secret is to embrace the change and change along with it.
So, if you’re an artist who finds yourself in this predicament, what can you do?
A lot.
First, get out of your way. Remember that when things shift, doing what you’ve always done is seldom a solution. Things as basic as changing your routine can help shift your perspective.
And your perspective defines your reality.
Be open to experimenting with changes in the way you work, allow yourself to explore new ways to let your art express itself.
And don’t simple wait for success to find its way back to you. Act. Do.
Meet success half way. Do your part. Market your work, promote your work, launch a PR campaign, no matter how small, focusing on your work and your journey as an artist. Remember, effective PR is effective storytelling.
All art tells a story, some with words, some with images and some with sound.
So get out of your own way.
Tell your story
&
Shine a light on your art.
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